“When you’ve got that and the skill of other guys around it, it makes for a tasty combination and I think that’s one of the reasons why we always felt we were in the game tonight and always felt we could get a result right to the end there.

“It makes for a very interesting last three games.”

After declaring with a second-innings lead of 266 following a superb Ben Stokes century, the hosts were four wickets from victory after three dismissals apiece from Archer and spinner Jack Leach.

But Australia, without the concussed Steve Smith who was hit in the neck by an Archer delivery on day four, dug in for a draw.

Joe Root was proud of his team’s efforts at Lord’s (Mike Egerton/PA).

Concussion substitute Marnus Labuschagne played a major role for the tourists, stepping in for Smith and recovering from a vicious 91.6mph blow to the grille from Archer to make 59.

The stalemate means England remain 1-0 down in the series, but Root felt his team gave everything to force a result in difficult circumstances following the series of rain delays.

“I thought that we threw everything at them there, gave ourselves a good amount of overs to try and create things and sometimes you need absolutely everything to go for you,” said Root.

“All in all it was a fantastic effort, from start of the start of the day.

Ben Stokes celebrates reaching his century (John Walton/PA).

“The way we went through the gears – Ben (Stokes), in particular, was brilliant.

“To get us to that score we knew it would be very difficult for Australia to get any sort of result out of the game.